I didn’t fit in to corporate.
I was pretending to fit in, which was exhausting. I pushed my introverted self and was literally getting sick from that. Anxiety was mounting and I was just going through the motions.
Before I launched my coaching business, I’d had a good job with perks and a great salary. Friends couldn’t believe I left it to be a coach.
But I longed for work that allowed me to bring my full self to the table and leverage my strengths — to work in a sane way doing good. You too?
Having a coaching business may be the only income-producing role in your life where you get to bring your full personality, values and life experience together to serve others.
Are you making the most of that?
Does your coaching business fit you?
And, how can you bring your full self to the table and be known for it?
Let’s talk about that.
Build Your Coaching Business Around Your Values
In your coaching business you control your environment and experience with all the choices you get to make. I’m not saying it’s easy, and it helps to have a mentor, but it is freeing to have your livelihood guided by your values.
I took my training at Coach U, one of the first coaching schools, which was created by Thomas Leonard, who is often called the father of modern coaching.
He was known for an abundance of short pithy exercises. When I enrolled, I received, by mail no less, 10 pounds of notebooks full of his exercises and curriculum! It was a bit overwhelming but I dug in!
His concept was that anything you did with a client you should first do yourself. He suggested that a coach can be of great value being just one step ahead of their client.
One exercise helped me identify both my core and business values. Those principles are still guiding my business and life.
For example … I realized that integrity is my #1 business value as well as service. I realized that, while money is not in itself important to me, EARNING is critical because independence is a core value.
I crave independence in thought and action and the ability to choose what’s right for me moment to moment. Those values made me a perfect candidate for entrepreneurship … for developing my own coaching business rather than coaching for a firm.
What core or business values make having your own coaching business a good fit for you?
Finding Your Sweet Spot in Your Coaching Business is a Journey
Early on, I repeatedly strayed from my values because doubting myself I was trying to implement something that I saw other coaches do. Me thinking I should be more like other coaches sent me down rabbit holes, purchasing bright shiny objects that wasted time and money.
Sound familiar?
I crawled back out of those rabbit holes each time and dusted myself off. Trial and error helped me to find what fits me better and implement that. Eventually, I learned to stop following others and keep my own council (with the help of a business mentor.)
I’ve found my sweet spot — the way I love to work as well as when I want to work and who I want to work with. I want that for you.
If something you try in your coaching business doesn’t work out, rather than giving up, be on a path of self discovery, learning what’s best for you.
One strange thing I realized 10 years into coaching was that I’m more of a teacher and guide than a coach. So, I’ve morphed my business model and offers to help other coaches niche strategically, learn how to message and attract ideal clients while managing mindsets.
Sure, I still use coaching skills, but my offers aren’t centered around coaching sessions.
You may find you want a hybrid business too when you learn your zones of genius.
In my VIP mentoring program, I help coaches uncover clues to their sweet spot so it can guide their niche and specialty.
I’ve got one opening left for that program starting in July, so learn more and fill the application at ProsperousCoach.com/VIP. We’ll have a Discovery Call and be sure we’re a good fit.
What’s Your Coaching Empire?
Have you ever thought about how big you want your coaching empire to be?
One of my past VIP clients now has 7 employees and a big marketing machine bringing in high six figures with large group programs. That’s not for everyone. It takes a lot of hustle and capitol to pull off. You have to have a big personality. But it fits her personality perfectly!
Although, just because there’s an exciting online training program about creating group or online training programs don’t feel you have to go there.
You may never want or need to do anything more elaborate than 1:1 coaching. I came back to 1:1 offers after trying lots of other business models because I want the long-term, deep work with clients without the labor-intensive aspects.
The reality is you can earn more with less labor and costs with 1:1 as long as you charge enough. It is the simplest coaching business model — that’s a term I coined ; ) — and what I teach coaches.
So, how else can you create freedom in your coaching business to fully be yourself?
When I work with coaches to uncover a strategic niche, I share out-of-the-box ways to develop their specialty and bring more of themselves to the table in a Signature Program because those types of offers are richly rewarding for coach and client alike.
Some training or life experience could be, but doesn’t have to be, THE focus or your niche. There are plenty of ways to bring those things to your client in the moment. For example, if you’ve learned EFT tapping for anxiety relief you don’t have to coach solely around anxiety.
Skills or techniques you’ve learned can be pulled into your business in creative ways.
For a clue to how you might want to adjust your coaching business both for freedom of expression and being more valuable to your clients, think about how you’ve been limited in a previous role or business.
What are the ways that you chafed against some boundary or rule or felt you had to hide your true self in previous jobs?
Your coaching business is the opportunity of a lifetime to bring all that you are and much of what you know to the table. It’s another way to become a coach in high demand and be well known for your unique approach.
